Geocaching Rockets into Space (Again)

WeeklyMailer_100713_GeocachingInSpace_vFINAL_blog (1)[Click for information on the Seattle Geocaching in Space Event]

You don’t read the words, “We’re going to space!” very often. So, how about we soak up the joy of reading those words once more? Let’s add a little pizzazz and shout it by using all capital letters: “WE’RE GOING TO SPACE!” Yeah! A Geocaching Travel Bug® is hitching a ride with astronaut Rick Mastracchio straight to the International Space Station. The mission is currently scheduled to launch from Kazakhstan at 4:08 GMT on November 7, which is 5:08 a.m. in Berlin and November 6 at 8:08 p.m. in Los Angeles. (Convert to your time here.)

Astronaut Richard Mastracchio (Source: Nasa)
Astronaut Richard Mastracchio (Source: Nasa)

Rick will live aboard the ISS for 6 months. He plans to use the Travel Bug as a tool to teach students on Earth, in his home state of Connecticut, about geography and science. He’ll also earn the Solar System’s most elusive smiley and find the International Space Station geocache.

We’ll be following Rick the whole way, beginning at liftoff. Ready for some more pizzazz? Geocaching HQ will issue a Geocaching in Space souvenir to those who attend Event Caches during the launch. You can watch the launch live online or check out the recording later and celebrate the geocaching community’s spirit of exploration.

Find out answers to frequently asked questions and everything you need to know about hosting a Geocaching in Space event at the Geocaching in Space Event Center. We’ll be updating this blog post with the latest information about the launch as it happens. All Event Caches must be submitted at least two weeks before the scheduled launch date of November 6. For more information on Geocaching in Space and Rick’s mission, visit the Geocaching in Space FAQ.

Check out this vintage Geocaching video of the first Travel Bug journey to space.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW7psaxQXM0]

Dear Geocaching Diary: Orange Headbands for the Win

[youtube=http://youtu.be/adQYQGfPJbs]

 

Dear Geocaching Diary,

Whew! What a crazy, wonderful, mixed-up month we have had here at Geocaching HQ. In the last few weeks, we hosted a party that brought geocachers from all over the world together (Geocaching Block Party – maybe you’ve heard of it?), celebrated International Geocaching Day, and unveiled the first ever International Geocaching Film Festival (GIFF)….all while keeping the 31 Days of Geocaching streak alive. Okay, we didn’t all go #31in31. There were some frustrating 13-hour DNFs and some waking up at 12:08 am only to realize what was forgotten the day before. But we all learned a bit more about what it means to be a geocacher and what it means to work and to play at Geocaching HQ. So overall, not too shabby. And as if that wasn’t enough, rumor on the street is that we’ve made  “orange headbands” the hottest fashion trend of 2013 (you ‘ll want to keep reading to learn more).

Continue reading →

A geocache made in Hollywood (but placed in Washington). — Ring of Fire (GCJYHZ) — Geocache of the Week

Maybe this was the train Ozzy Osbourne was singing about in "Crazy Train". Photo by geocacher Brasstax.
Maybe this was the train Ozzy Osbourne was singing about in “Crazy Train”. Photo by geocacher Brasstax.

This week’s Geocache of the Week was born from the depths a fiery train crash. You might be thinking, “Jeez, that’s kind of a bummer. I hope no one was hurt in the wreck.” Until, of course, you learn that the train wreck was all a piece of Hollywood cinema. If you’re up for a hike and a challenging find, Ring of Fire (GCJYHZ) will show you a piece of movie history.

In 1961, the film “Ring of Fire” was released. This film is a classic, campy story of  boy meets girl, all while a giant forest fire rages through the Pacific Northwest. You can even watch the original trailer. Movie spoiler alert: The grand finale of the film occurs when a train is stuck on a flaming bridge. Eventually, the bridge weakens and collapses, sending the train cars tumbling into a ravine. While the movie is set in Oregon, the actual filming location for this stunt was in Washington. After filming, the crew did their best to remove the wreckage, but several pieces still remained. Several years later, geocacher ironman114 found the location and placed this geocache there.

Check out the epic grand finale (skip to the 13 minute mark):[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gGnzVdnFkmI#t=758s]

A piece of wreckage from "Ring of Fire". Photo by geocacher cougarcach24.
A piece of wreckage from “Ring of Fire”. Photo by geocacher cougarcach24.

Since then, many geocachers have found this difficulty 3.5, terrain 5 geocache and ended up with great stories. Geocacher crouchcrew had this to say in their log, “What an awesome, amazing cache for an awe-inspiring, epic milestone! He did good by picking this one. From the ropes, the climb, the railcars, the view, the history, the celebration, the beautiful day and finding the cache en masse made for a geocaching top 10 day! Thanks so much for placing and maintaining this consummate cache!”

As a fan of old movies, the CO, ironman114, knew this spot would make a great geocache. Regarding the positive logs and favorite points, he says, “I derive a lot of satisfaction to see all the cachers enjoying the trek and hunt for this cache… If you get a lot of positive logs then you know you did it right.” He goes on with a message for other geocachers who plan to hide a geocache, “Location, Location, Location. Take time to think about it and if location is bland then make a good container or story to go with the geocache. Just because you can hide a geocache within feet of a full smelly pit toilet doesn’t mean you HAVE to!”

Have you ever come across old wrecks, abandoned buildings or other once-inhabited places while geocaching? Tell us about it in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.

 

Extreme Geocaching in Pictures (and Video)

Upside-down or right-side-up geocaching can lead you to some heart racing location.
Upside-down or right-side-up geocaching can lead you to some heart racing locations.

Geocaching can lead you to see the world in a different way. The symptoms begin early. First you see a location and think, “there could be a geocache right there.” Next you see a a park or a familiar fence line and think, “I’ve found a geocache there.” Finally you see an inspiring location and think, “There should be a geocache there.”

And some geocachers go even further. They see a geocache hide and think, there’s no way I won’t get that. It doesn’t matter that it might mean dangling from a cliff, or climbing a tree or navigating into the darkness of a winter forest.

Difficulty-Terrain_Rating300x75

These are an extreme breed of geocacher. They search for geocaches with a terrain rating of 5. Not only do they enjoy the thrill of turning upside-down or wiggling into a small cave to find a geocache, they also enjoy sharing their geocaching adventures online. Geocaching can be dangerous, so make sure you always take the proper safety precautions. A good example is  the final picture of geocachers who brought a guard dog to a mountain top.

Geocaches have difficulty and terrain (D/T) ratings so you can make the decision before you even leave the house. The rating slides from a 1/1, which means the geocache is easy to find in a handicapped accessible area, to a 5/5, which means that after hours of exhausting physical work to get to ground zero involving specialized equipment like a boat, you’re still going to have a hard time finding the geocache. Find more info on the difficulty and terrain ratings.

Below you’ll find images posted to the Geocaching Facebook page of geocaches with terrain ratings of 4 or 5. When you see them, ask yourself, “would I make an attempt to find these geocaches?”

Extreme geocaching
Extreme geocaching
Extreme family geocaching
Extreme family geocaching
Extreme geocaching
Extreme geocaching
Up close and personal (Photo Credit:FradoMedia)(GC11A56)
Up close and personal (Photo Credit:FradoMedia)
GC11A56
 “Triglav 2864″ (GC14N3H)
“Triglav 2864″ GC14N3H

Still want more extreme geocaching? Check out Geocaching’s Extreme Multi-Caching video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXkTDMvEUX8]

Venture into the sky without leaving the ground. – Way to Heaven (GCPJDZ) – Geocache of the Week

 

The Grossglockner. Photo by geocacher devilmanrocco.
“Hey, I can see my house from up here.” Photo by geocacher devilmanrocco.

At 12,461 ft (3798m) the Grossglockner stands proudly as Austria’s tallest mountain and the tallest peak in the Alps (east of the Brenner Pass). Though incredibly impressive from afar, those that dare can take a closer look with the Grossglockner High Alpine Road—a winding stretch of mountain road that takes you through 36 bends to a top altitude of 8,215 ft (2,504m). From the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe Visitors Center, you can look out on some of the highest peaks in the alps—and log a smiley for Way to Heaven (GCPJDZ).

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Photo by geocacher Milancer.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Photo by geocacher Milancer.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road loosely follows ancient trade routes through the mountains that were used by the Celts and Romans. The idea for the road was first envisioned in 1924 and the first version, a 3-meter-wide gravel road, was completed in 1935.

Now, nearly 900,000 visitors per year make the  trek through the mountains. This geocache has a difficulty and terrain rating of 3.5, however, if you want to kick both of those rating up a notch, you can travel up the Grossglockner High Alpine Road by motorcycle or bicycle.

Watch out for marmot muggles! Photo by geocacher parda.
Watch out for marmot muggles! Photo by geocacher parda.

Many of the “found it” logs (and even some of the DNFs) mention one thing: the incredible view. “Took a drive up the Grossglocker on a cold and rainey morning, skipped this area and saved it for the way back after heading to the Glacier. Got lucky as the view opened up on our return a little (before clouding over again quickly)…What a great location, so glad we came here,” wrote geocacher stephia4 in her “found it” log. When asked why he thinks geocachers love this destination so much, the geocache owner, Quaxi, said, “I think the reason for most of the travelers is to pass through a unique world of mountains with blossoming alpine meadows, fragrant mountain forests, massive cliffs and eternal ice to the foot of the Grossglockner, the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe.”

The Grossglocker High Alpine Road is closed during the winter, but should be opening next month. If you’re in Austria during the summer, this geocache is a must-find. For more information on the road and to see webcams, visit the official website. As with many geocaches, this hide is all about the amazing views. What’s the most incredible view you’ve ever had while finding a geocache? Tell us in the comments.

A panorama from GZ. Photo by geocacher js_plasma.
A panorama from GZ. Photo by geocacher js_plasma.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.